Apparatus for attaching adhesive tape to masking paper



April 17, 1945' M. 'r. JOHNSON 2,374,103

APPARATUS FOR ATTACHING ADHESIVE TAPE TO MASKING PAPER Original Filed May 10, 1941- 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

/71m J W W T jz/M ATTORNEY.

April 1945- M. T. JOHNSON 2,374,103

APPARATUS FOR ATTACHING ADHESIVE TAPE TO MASKING PAPER Original Filed May 10, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 y INVENTOR BY l M ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 17, i945 arrm'rus roa ATTACHING ADHESIVE TAPE 'ro msxmc mesa I Morris T. Johnson, Milwaukee, Wis.

Original application May 10, 1941, Serial No.

392,920. Divided and this application November 11, 1943, Serial No. 509,849

(01. Mit -55.4)

2 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in apparatus for attaching adhesive tape to masking paper.

This application is a divisional one of my application for an improvement in Methods of and apparatus for attaching adhesive tape tc masking paper, filed May 10, 1941, having Serial Number 392,920.

This invention is adapted to be used to employ the masking paper to cover surfaces of objects which are to be painted, as an automobile, or walls or ceilings of rooms, which covered surfaces are not to be painted at the time.

One object of my invention is the provision of an apparatus of the kind described having novel means adapted to rotatably support a roll of masking paper and a roll of adhesive tape in positions such that the tape will be automatically attached to one longitudinal edge of the paper as the paper is fed from the roll.

Another object of my invention is the provi-.

- tive position, as by engagement with a smooth surface portion of an automobile which is to be masked.

Still another object of my invention is the provision of a novel apparatus of the kind described which is simple, cheap, strong, durable, easily operated, not likely to get out of order,.occupies little space and is efiicient in its operation.

The novel features of my invention are hereinafter fully describedand claimed.

In the accompanying drawings illustrative of my invention,

Fig. 1 is areduced elevation of my improved apparatus, partly supported by its leg and having its three vacuum cups attached by suction to the side of the body of a car, which is about to be masked prior to being painted.

provided with its leg and three vacuum cups, and

showing a roll of maskingpaper and a roll of adhesive tape operatively mounted on the apparatus and engaged with each other.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevation, partly broken away, of what is shown in Fig. 2, two of the vacuum cups being shown operatively engaging the smooth upstanding surface of an object, such as a portion of a wall of a room.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged front elevation, partly brokenaway, of theapparatus, from which the leg is removed, a roll of masking paper being shown partly broken away and operatively mounted on the apparatus.

Fig. 5 is a side view of the apparatus, with its leg removed, and supported by three of its arms, as when not in us a masking roll of paper and a tape roll being shown operatively mounted on the apparatus, with the tape adhesively engaged with the paper roll, and with fed portions of the paper and tape operatively engaging the severing blade preparatory to feeding and severing.

Fig. 6 is a reduced perspective view of the apparatus, with the leg removed, and showing a roll of masking paper, and a roll of tape operatively mounted on the apparatus, and operatively engaged with each other and with the severing blade ready for severing by the blade, or for further withdrawal.

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of one of the floor flanges mounted on a portion of one of the handle bars.

Fig. 8 is a front view of what is shown in Fig. 7.

Similar characters of reference designate similar parts.

The apparatus provides a suitable support, which in the form shown, consists in a U-shaped member having two upstanding arms I at the ends of a transverse portion 2. The supporting member has two forwardly extending arms 3 at the lower ends of the arms I respectively. A transverse severing blade 4, which is arcuate in cross section, has its convex rear side fastened to the front ends of the arms 3.

Depending from the transverse portion 2 is an arm 5. At the lower side of the middle of the transverse part '2 of the supporting member is a socket 8, into which is inserted the upwardly and rearwardly extending shank l of a supporting leg, which shank is releasably held firmly in the socket 6 by a set screw 8, Figs. 2 and 3. The lowerend of the leg has a, transverse bar portion 9 parallel with the severing blade 4, and provided at its ends with two feet Ill respectively adapted to rest on the floor.

I The upper side of the transverse portions has I a socket in which is fastened, by a screw l2,

mg surface of an object, comprises the following described mechanism.

Two forwardly and rearwardly extending bars are slidably and rotatably mounted in the upper end portions respectively of the arms l. Two set screws i6 mounted in the arms I and respectively bearing on the bars l5 hold said bars in the positions to which they are adjusted. The forward positions of the bars 5 are bent and form arms by which the bars are forced rearwardly, or, as shown in Fig. 5, they may be used in connection with the arm 5 forsupporting the apparatus when not in use.

Respectively fastened to the rear ends of the bars ii are two vacuum cups |'l adapted to have holding suction engagement with an. upstanding smooth surface of an object, as the side of a car I 4, Fig. 1, or with a wall l3, Fig. 3.

A similar cup I? is fastened to the rear end of a rearwardly extending bar I8, having its front end in releasable engagement with and in a socket l9 provided at the rear side of the arm 5, Figs. 2 and '3. The cup ll on the bar i9 is adapted for engagement with the smooth upstanding wall, simultaneously with the other two vacuum cups.

For rotatably supporting a roll of masking paper the following described means is employed. A transverse member, such as a rod 2| is longitudinally slidable on the arms I adjacent to their upper ends and above and parallel with the transverse portion 2 of the U-shaped supporting member. Referring to Fig. 4, the rod 2| has through it at the right of the left arm I a transverse hole through which is removably inserted a cotter pin 22, which forms an abutment. At the right of the right arm I, the rod 2| has through it a hole through which removably extends an abutment cotter pin 23. A coiled compression-spring 24 encircles the rod 2|, and has one end bearing against the right arm I, its other end bearing against a collar 25 which bears against the cotter pin 23.

adhesive tape, which tape is wound into a roll 21' mounted upon a roller 28 rotatable on a cross pin 29 in the arm 5 forward of the socket 59. At the outer side of the roller 28 is a removable cotter pin 36 in a hole through the pin 29. When the tape roll 3? is mounted on the roller 28, the plane :r-y intersects the tape 2?, where it joins its roll 21', between and spaced from the longitudinal edges of the tape 2'5.

The adhesive side of the tape 21 is attached to the outer periphery of its roll 2?, so that when withdrawn a tension is placed upon the withdrawing tape. This tension causes the tape to stick tightly to theperiphery oi the paper roll at, when attached thereto, and the paper strip 20 properly drawn from the roll 20'.

When properly attached to the paper roll 21), the strip of tape 27 will have a longitudinal portion projecting from one edge of the paper strip 20 and from the paper roll 20', as shown in Figs. 2 and 6, for adherence to the object to be masked.

In attaching the tape 2? to the paper strip 26, the adhesive side of the outer end portion of the tape 27 is attached to the periphery of the paper roll 26' at the rear of and extending in a like direction as the outer end portion of thestrip of paper 28. p

The strip of paper 20 is then fed from its roll 20', as by withdrawing it, so that it leaves the paper roll 20' in advance of the radial plane 0! where the tape Joins and is tangent to the periphery of the paper roll. This may be eiiected by drawing the strip of paper 20 against the rear side of the blade 4, as shown in Figs. 2, 3, 5 and 6. This will cause the paper roll 20 to rotate in the direction of travel of the paper strip 20, thereby causing the tape 2'! to travel on the periphery of the roll 20' to the position shown in Figs. 2 and 6, in which the plane x-y of the left end of the roll 20 will be between and spaced from the longitudinal edges of the tape 21, and the left longitudinal portion of the tape will project from the adjacent longtudinal edge of the The roll 20' of the strip of masking paper 20,

has an axial hole into the ends of which, Fig. 4, are respectively inserted two inwardly tapering collars 26 having at their outer ends flanges adapted to bear against the ends of the roll 20'.

To mount. the paper roll 20' on the rod 2|, the left cotter pin 22 is removed and the rod 2| withdrawn to the right. The roll 20, with the collars 26 therein, are inserted between the arms I, and the rod 2| is then reinserted through the arms I and through the collars 26 which are rotatable on the rod 2|. The cotter pin 22 is then reinserted through the rod 2|. v

The coiled spring 21 will normally force the rod 2| to the right, Figs. 2 and 4, until the right hand collar 26 strikes the adjacent arm 1, due to the cotter pin 22 being against the adjacent end of the other collar 28. The paper roll 20 is now in its operative position, with its left end in the plane :r-v, for engagement with the strip 210! paper strip 20.

g The taped strip of paper may then be severed in the usual manner with the blade 4, in such lengths as may be desired.

As shown, the blade 4 is disposed a considerable distance in advance of where the tape 21 joins the paper roll 20', thus assuring good adherence of the tape to the paper strip.

From then on, the paper strip 20 is withdrawn with the tape 21, and the tape will automatically adhere in its proper position to the paper strip, with its longitudinal projecting edge portion properly spaced from the adjacent longitudinal edge of the paper strip.

For supporting, for separate use and convenience, other narrow rolls of tape, a roller 3| is mounted on the projecting right hand end portion of the rod 2 l, Figs. 2' and 4. A cotter pin 32 is removably mounted in a transverse hole in the rod 2|, at the outer side of the roller 3|. Tape rolls, as 33 and 34 may be mounted on the roller 3|, as shown in Fig. 2.

When it is desired to use the three vacuum cups I! for supporting the apparatus, without the use of the leg 1, they leg may be removed as shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6. In such use the cups may be pressed tightly against an upstanding smooth surface, as IS in Fig. 3, to make the cups tightly adhere thereto. The curved bars I! may be used to carry the apparatus. and to force the cups l1 into suction engagement with the supporting surface, thus holding the device in operative position whenthe paper strip is being taped and withdrawn.

Each suction cup H has on its outer side bosses -35, for bending outwardly the edge of the cup to admit air for easy releasing of the cup.

When the leg I is used, if desired, one or more of the vacuum cups I! may be used, to make the apparatus adhere to an object.

Or, if such adherence is not desired, similarly shaped non-adhering members, as ordinary metal fioor flanges 35, one of which is shown in Figs. 7 and 8, having a central threaded hole may be respectively fitted on the threaded rear ends of the bars i5. With the use of these two floor flanges 38 on the bars l5, instead of vacuum cups, and with the use of the leg i, the apparatus may be operatively positioned leaning against an upright surface. In such case, the bar i8 and the lower cup I? may be dispensed with, and the disposition of the foot carrying bar 9, at the lower end of the leg shank I, transversely, as shown in Fig. 2 afiords stability against lateral tipping.

As shown in Fig. 5, when the leg is not used and the apparatus is not in use, it may be supported by the arm and the bars [5. Or, if the leg is used, its lower end portion and the front ends of the bars i5 may be used to support the apparatus in the position shown in Fig. 5, thus keeping the cups i1 and the tape and paper from contact with the ground, floor, or other supporting surface.

By having the outer end portion of the adhesive tape attached to the periphery of the paper roll, and thelongitudinal middle portion of the tape, where it leaves the tape roll, alined with the transverse plane of one end of the roll of paper, and withdrawing the paper strip from the.

paper roll, with the tape attached thereteo, at a point around the periphery of the paper roll in advance of where the tape joins the paper roll, the tape will be tightly attached in its operative edge projecting position, without the employ-- ment of other accessory pressing or guiding means, thus affording a very simple, inexpensive and effective mechanism.

By having the bars l5 independently adjustable, they may be adjusted to properly position'the three cups to a varying upstanding surface. By having the feet [0 of the leg projecting forwardly, as in Fig. 3, the leg acts as a brace as well as a support.

Many modifications of my invention, within the scope of the appended claims, may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim is: v

i. In an apparatus for attaching adhesive tape to masking paper, a support having two up wardly extending arms, means adapted to rotatably support a roll of strip masking paper between saidarms, means on said support adapted to rotatably support a roll of adhesive tape, two bars extending forwardly and rearwardly and independently adjustable longitudinally on. said arms respectively, and two suction vacuum cups respectively mounted on the rear ends of said bars and adapted for releasable holding engagement with an upstanding smooth surface of an object.

, 2. In an apparatus for attaching adhesive tape to masking paper, a support having two upwardly extending arms and a downwardly extending supporting leg, means adapted to rotatably support a roll of strip masking paper between said arms, means on said support adapted to rotatahly support a roll of adhesive tape, two bars extending forwardly and rearwardly and independently adjustable longitudinally on said arms respectively, and two suction vacuum cups respectively mounted on the rear ends of said bars and adapted for releasable holding engagement with an upstanding smooth surface of an object.

Mom-us '1'. JOHNSON. 

